iHave an Ultimatum
by Leea Gardner
Summary: They said, "No secrets, we promise." But even then, they hadn't let Carly in on their biggest, darkest secret yet...
1. Shh It's a secret

**A/N: Okay. This is going to be fun(: My cousin & I always had this idea about iCarly that the whole show is in Carly's perspective, and Sam and Freddie are having a secret relationship behind her back, which is why we don't know about it. Of course, this all changed after iSaved Your Life, but it'd always been a fun thought nonetheless.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to iCarly.**

**Chapter One**

The iCarly trio was making their way through the crowds on the busy streets of Seattle, back towards Freddie and Carly's apartment complex. Carly walked in between the boy and the blonde, and she found this to be perfectly normal. The other two, however, were relieved, but disappointed that Carly had stepped between them. While Carly blabbered on about school and the new iCarly segment, Freddie and Sam snuck suggestive glances at each other, all the while making sure Carly didn't see anything. Of course she didn't. She never did. Judging on the names the two referred to each other as, Carly would never suspect that anything more than hatred had developed in their relationship. Carly pushed her way into the lobby. Freddie reached forward to hold the door for Sam until she elbowed him painfully in the ribs, grabbed the door, and let herself in. Carefully was the way they had to play this game. If they didn't want Carly to know—and Sam most definitely didn't—they had to make sure every move was normal for them. Therefore, Freddie opening the door for Sam—not normal.

"So what do you guys want to do?" Carly asked, hitting the number seven on the elevator and watching the doors slide shut.

"I have a lot of homework," Freddie answered immediately.

"And I have to get home to help my mom clean out her boyfriend's stuff. After I raid your fridge, of course," Sam said lightly.

"Didn't your mom just start dating that guy?"

"Yeah. She moves fast, Carls."

"So I've noticed." The doors slid open again and Sam followed Carly around the corner.

"See you guys later," Freddie said, and without further ado, slipped into his own apartment. Before the door closed, he winked at Sam who smiled back at him. Carly hadn't noticed a thing and she threw open the door to her apartment. Sam slipped past her and into the kitchen. Spencer looked up from the TV.

"Hey guys, how was school?" He asked.

"Good," Carly answered.

"Boring," Sam said honestly, pouring herself some juice and opening a fat cake. She drained the juice quickly and ate the fat cake in two bites.

"Hey Carls?" She asked, interrupting her conversation with Spencer about a history report that Sam wouldn't do.

"Yes?"

"My breath reeks, do you have any gum?"

"Why do you need it?"

"Because my breath reeks?"

"Fair enough." Carly dug through her backpack and pulled out a pack of Big Red. Sam sashayed back into the living room and snagged a piece.

"Oh score! Thanks Carls. I'll see you later."

"You just came over to eat my food and drink my beverages?"

"What did you expect from me? I'll be over later for dinner, don't even worry about it."

"Oh, I won't."

"Bye Carls." Sam slammed the door shut, probably a little more loudly then she was supposed to. She crossed the hallway quickly, knocked twice on Freddie's door, and turned into the stairwell. She didn't stop walking, even after she heard Freddie's footsteps join hers. Feeling that nervous excitement flood her like it always did, she stopped at Freddie's old room where he'd lived for a whopping two days after he moved out of his mom's place. She walked in cautiously, popping the gum in her mouth, and looking around to make sure the janitor or Lewbert wasn't up here. Freddie paused at the doorway and just stared at her.

"Hi," She managed. He smirked and raised a hand, beckoning her forward with two fingers. Once Sam had moved, Freddie put his hands on her hips, placing her against the doorway. His head bent over hers as he twined their fingers together.

"Hi," He repeated. He kissed her lightly for a second and pulled away.

"Where were you during third period?" Sam asked as casually as she could manage. "I missed you."

"I can't cut class everyday, Sam," He said smartly. "I already got in trouble for it."

"Eh. Franklin's a pushover," She replied, kissing him again. This time it lasted longer, and in between kisses, Freddie murmured,

"My mom didn't know what to think of it, though." Sam pulled away, tilting her head to the side.

"He told your mom?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, what did you say?"

"What could I say? I'd skipped class four days in a row."

"I sure hope you didn't say, 'I was making out with Sam Puckett behind the bleachers.'"

"Of course I didn't say that, I'm not stupid. My mom would've had a heart attack right there. No, I told them that I was filming some stuff for the AV club." Sam smirked.

"Nerd," She whispered, and stretched to kiss him again. His arms curled around her waist, lifting her a bit to make her job easier. They didn't talk for a while after that, keeping their lips moving in perfect rhythm. Freddie pulled away this time.

"I think we have to tell Carly," He said. Sam's eyes became the size of dinner plates.

"Are you nuts?" She demanded.

"I think she deserves to know."

"Damnnit, Freddie, no. Think about it. What if she gets…well, I mean, you remember when she found out we had our first kiss."

"Yeah, I remember. I almost told her then, too."

"Yeah, I saw that. Thank god Spencer came in with his banjo."

"I just think it's wrong to keep her in the dark."

"Oh please, Freddie. This has been going on too long to tell her now. Remember what we promised her? No secrets? And don't you think it was hard enough on me to see you two swapping saliva all the time after you saved her life?"

"That's not fair; I didn't want to do that, you made me."

"Yeah, because Carly can't know!"

"Why not?"

"Well… what if she gets… jealous?" This caught Freddie off guard.

"Why would she get jealous?" He asked, truly curious. Sam shrugged.

"I dunno," She murmured. "I mean, I have this cute, sweet boyfriend, and what does she have?" Freddie smiled.

"Cute and sweet, huh?"

"Shut up, Freddork." He kissed her again, taking both of her hands and placing them on his chest. She pulled away, true worry etched into her face now.

"I mean, what if she tries to steal you away from me? She thinks she deserves you, ya know?"

"Why would Carly deserve me?"

"I don't know. She's prettier and smarter and much more well-behaved then I am, for starters—"

"That's not true. I think you're beautiful. You're smart, too, when you want to be. And hey, nobody likes a goody too shoes." Sam looked up at him and grinned.

"Beautiful, huh?"

"So, so beautiful," He answered, leaning in to kiss her. She let him have his fun, kissing him back for a while, and then pulling away.

"I love you," She whispered.

"I love you too," He replied. And they both knew that that was the truth.


	2. Game On

**A/N: Alright, so the last chapter was REALLY shabby, I apologize. It's only because I was originally going to start with this chapter, but I realized it would be too confusing. But thank you for the reviews! You're all so sweet(: Compliments & Criticism are Cherished! **

**Disclaimer: Wish I did, but I don't own iCarly.**

**Chapter Two**

The only days that Sam and Freddie missed their alone time was when it was an iCarly night. The day after Freddie declared that they tell Carly of their secret love, iCarly was scheduled to run. Freddie stood awkwardly in front of his tech cart, tinkering with a camera that had nothing wrong with it. Carly sat in a bean bag chair, facing him, a very curious expression residing on her face. And Sam, of course, was no where to be found. Freddie was fighting with himself—should he do what's right, or listen to Sam?

"Freddie?" Carly asked. "Freddie, are you okay?"

Damn her. She was going to break him. He wouldn't dare to look up at her as he mumbled, "Yeah fine," and continued messing with perfectly-functioning technology. He heard Carly stand from her chair, but tried vainly to ignore it.

"Freddie?" She questioned, almost as if she wasn't sure this was actually his name. He put down the camera, and finally looked her in the eyes. It was tough work—her single, innocently dumbfounded expression almost spilled all the secrets.

"Carly, I told you, I'm fine, okay?" He half-shouted, making it sound like he was extremely not fine. Carly sighed.

"You sure you don't want to talk about it?" She asked.

"Talk about what?" He hissed.

"Whatever's bothering you."

"There's nothing to say, alright?"

"Well obviously, Freddie!" Carly practically exploded. "You haven't talked to me—really talked to me—in days! Did I do something wrong? Do I _smell _or something?"

"No, Carly, you don't _smell_," He said, barely stifling a laugh.

"Then please, Freddie Benson, tell me what's bugging you." Freddie looked at her, feeling his will break as he stared into her eyes. This was their best friend—their very best friend. They _had _to tell her. They just had to…

Carly rested her hand in his, and he instantly pulled away, striding to the other side of the room.

"What, are my hands on fire?" She teased. She wasn't fooling him—she sounded hurt. He took a deep breath, keeping his back to her.

"Carly…Sam and I are—"

"Hey, hey people!" Sam shouted, striding through the door.

Damn her. Damn her and her absolute perfect timing.

Carly ignored her completely.

"Sam and you are what, Freddie?" She asked. Sam's eyes flashed dangerously to Freddie, and the look on her face plainly said, 'Oh boy. You will pay for this later.'

"Throwing a surprise party for Spencer," Sam said swiftly, almost as if it was the truth. "You know, for selling that sculpture. We didn't want to tell you because we were afraid you would tell him. It's this weekend."

"But Sam, Spencer's going out of town this weekend."

"Is he? Oh, shoot. I guess the plans are off. Hey, don't we have an episode of iCarly to do?"

"Yeah, we do," Freddie said, nervously checking his watch. "We're on in twenty seconds." He moved back towards his tech cart as Sam and Carly moved in front of it.

"In five, four, three, two…"

"Heeeeeeeeeey!" The girls shouted.

It was the toughest iCarly Freddie had ever gone through. His own tortuous thoughts and the webcast mixed dangerously, and he found himself pointing the camera at Sam too often. But Sam acted as if this was effortless—as easy as breathing. She and Carly joked and mingled perfectly. 'How can you do this?' he wanted to shout at Sam. 'How can you go on and be best friends with her, while you're hiding _everything _from her?'

He was half-tempted to scream it now, right smack in the middle of iCarly.

Of course, it hadn't always been easy for Sam. She'd had some troubles early on in their relationship—the first two weeks after their first kiss. There were moments when she was around Carly and Freddie where she simply looked like she was biting her tongue continuously. And all too often, she looked at Freddie. It wasn't really looking; actually… it was just plain _staring. _He'd have to pinch her to make her stop sometimes. And there was always the dentist incident—when she'd told Carly they'd kissed. She wasn't talking about their first kiss, of course. Probably the kiss right before she'd left for the dentist while Carly was getting a jacket.

They'd barely made it out of that alive.

But Sam was over it. She was completely at ease with Carly. It was Freddie who had problems now. He hadn't had them in the beginning because he'd figured the relationship wouldn't last. But they were quickly speeding into their two-year anniversary, and it was becoming too much for Freddie. He didn't want to keep hiding this—he wanted to scream off the rooftops that he was, and has been, dating Sam Puckett.

Of course, Sam would rather die then have that happen.

"Well, if our technical producer ever snaps out of it, this is the end of iCarly," He heard Sam say. He mentally shook himself, easing his way back into the webcast.

"As always, thanks for watching, and don't forget—don't count your eggs before they hatch! Or…chickens…not really sure. Bye!" Carly said cheerfully.

"We're clear," Freddie murmured, turning off his camera as the girls hugged. Sam was hugging her. How? How could she do that? Freddie stared at Carly who looked so happy—no clue that her best friends were off smooching whenever she turned her back…

"So, what do you guys want to do?" Carly asked, smiling widely.

"I've got nothing better to do at home," Sam said complacently while Freddie packed up his stuff. This was odd—Sam almost never stuck around after an iCarly. It obviously struck Carly as odd too, because she gave Sam a strange look.

"Okay then," She said happily. "We can all chill here and watch a movie or TV or something. I'll go make some popcorn."

"Sounds great, Carls." Carly gave them both looks, and strode from the room. Freddie turned and watched her through the glass door. He made sure she was safely down the stairs before he whirled on Sam.

"You don't have to stay, Sam."

"I'll leave before you do when hell freezes over."

Freddie sighed and went back to packing up his equipment. Sam, however, wasn't finished with the conversation.

"I can't leave you alone, can I?" Freddie looked up at her and winked.

"Not even when I sleep." Sam rolled her eyes and plowed on.

"You were going to tell her."

"I can't keep hiding this, Sam." Sam sighed and moved forward a bit, resting her hand lightly on his cheek. He leaned into it.

"Don't you think it might be safer if we don't tell her? She will be jealous. I know Carls—she'll be angry because we're lying, and she'll be jealous."

"So let her. I don't care. She can be as angry and jealous as she wants to be. It won't change anything between us."

"Really? It won't open your eyes and make you realize that a wonderful, handsome boy such as yourself deserves better?"

"Sam, how can you even say that? I'm the lucky one here." He leaned down to kiss her, hoping she would go for it…

She pulled away at the last second.

"Nice try," She teased. He grimaced at her.

"We have to tell her."

"No."

"Then maybe we can _show _her. If I turn you around like this—" he moved her "—then she'll have a perfect view when she walks back through the door." Sam laughed a bit, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You nub," She whispered, and kissed him softly. His arms curled around her. Just a little longer…Carly would walk back through that door, and then she'd know…Sam was going for it…

She pulled away.

Son of a bitch.

"I hear Carly," She murmured, and she untangled herself from Freddie. He reached for her hand; she recoiled.

"Nice try, Benson. But it's not happening."

"I will win," He muttered. "This is war."

"Game on." She smirked in his face, and even after all these years, he was struck by her beauty. He leaned just a little bit closer to her…

Carly opened the door, three cans of soda in the crook of her elbow and giant bowl of popcorn in the other. She looked up and grimaced.

"Oh no. Were you two fighting again?" She asked. Sam continued to stare at Freddie, a smile on her face.

"Oh Carly," She said, finally turning to face the brunette. "When are we not?"


	3. War

**A/N: You guys are so awesome(: I love all the reviews! You are too sweet. Alright! Into the story!**

**Disclaimer: Trust me, if I owned iCarly, Seddie would've happened ages ago.**

**Chapter Three**

Freddie was determined to tell Carly the minute he got some alone time with her. This, however, was not as easy as he had imagined it would be. Anywhere Carly was, Sam wasn't far behind.

She was good at this game.

After lunch, Freddie squatted down to his locker, angrily dialing his combination. Sam had sat right next to Carly in the cafeteria, and she seemed to plan it carefully, throwing away her trash when Carly did, and going to the bathroom with her. She was a really, really annoying puppy dog—but Carly didn't seem to mind. Of course Carly didn't mind. Carly didn't know about the war. Just then, the sounds of girly laughter caught his attention. He glanced up to see Sam and Carly, arm in arm, headed for their lockers.

"Hey Freddie!" Carly said happily. He grunted in response and threw open his own locker. Sam came to stand next to him, slipping her sneakered foot on top of his. He ignored her, grabbing various different notebooks and folders, and shutting his locker again. He stood up and Sam stepped away, back over to Carly.

"Where to after school?" She asked, grinning. Carly smiled too. She'd been complaining recently that Sam wasn't spending enough time with her.

Damn! Sam knew that perfectly! She knew that this was what Carly wanted, and that Carly wouldn't push her away.

He would've kicked the lockers if it didn't cause such a scene.

"Groovy Smoothie," Carly said. "Do you want to come, Freddie?" Freddie glanced up at the sound of his name. Sam looked back at him, a glistening smug look in her eyes.

"Yeah," Freddie muttered, avoiding Sam's look. "Yeah, smoothies. Fun. Sure."

xxx

On the way back from the Groovy Smoothie, Freddie was fuming. Sam was not letting him even have a chance. If Freddie saw an opening, Sam was already two steps ahead of him. After buying his second smoothie, he'd decided that he would just tell Carly, Sam or no Sam. He had sat down, and barely gotten out the words, "Carly, I need to tell—" when Sam had cut across him.

"Carls," She had said. "Look at the cutie across the room. Let's go. Come on, he's alone." And the girls had left the table. Freddie slumped back in his chair, staring across the room at the boy Sam had motioned to. She seemed to stay around long enough for Carly to get in a safe conversation before she'd moved back to Freddie.

"She won't be back for some while," She'd said lightly, taking a sip of her smoothie.

Now, back in the apartment building, Freddie said goodbye to the girls, and moved to his own apartment. Once he closed the door, he turned to his peephole. He would watch out of it all day if he had to. Sam had to leave sometime.

He got his chance a few minutes later. Sam threw open the door to Carly's apartment and Freddie heard Carly shouting something about 'it's freezing in here' before Sam shut the door again and turned down the hall. Freddie waited a few seconds, and slowly opened his own door. Adrenaline sped through his veins. This was it—he was going to win. He rolled his shoulders a bit, trying to calm down, and crossed the hallway. He put his hand on the doorknob. What would he say? He would have to sit her down and tell her gently. It was the only way. He slowly opened the door, feeling victorious as he spotted she was already on the couch.

"Hold that door, Fredweird!" Sam shouted. He spun, thunderstruck, to see a panting Sam dragging a particularly disgruntled Lewbert by the arm. She pushed past him in the doorway, and Freddie caught her soft whisper of, 'Sucker' before he slammed the door shut. He stomped back to his apartment, feeling defeated, and opening the door.

Locked.

Of all the rotten luck.

He slid down to the floor, and waited for his mom to come home.

xxx

Freddie knew what he had to do. Desperate times called for desperate measures. He'd sworn he'd never do this. Especially without Spencer home. He hoped that Sam wouldn't be too angry. The door was open—he hadn't really expected Carly to lock it. She had an indecent fear of the cops being locked out of her house after she called when there was a robber inside. They'd always tell her, 'Well Carly, if you locked the door, a robber wouldn't get in.' to which she always replied, 'Window. Duh.' He crept across her living room and silently wished he'd worn something more than a ratty t-shirt and a pair of boxers. Ignoring that, he picked his way up the stairs and into Carly's room. He stood in the doorway for a second, contemplating going back home. The devil on his shoulder, however, reminded him that this was his only chance, and so Freddie plowed on. He sat down next to Carly on her bed, touched her shoulder, and shook her softly.

"Carly," He whispered. "Carly, wake up." She groaned and rolled over.

That was when Freddie noticed the second person in the bed.

'You've got to be kidding me,' he thought.

Sam was awake, and staring at him.

"Hallway," She whispered. "Now." She threw her legs over the side of the bed and stomped her way to the hallway. Freddie had no choice but to follow her while Carly slept soundly on. Once he'd closed the door, Sam started talking.

"I'm getting tired of this, Freddie," She said.

"So let's just tell her."

"Let's not. You didn't have a problem in the past, why now?"

"It just seems wrong. I mean, I think you would agree with me that we're pretty serious, and nobody even knows about us."

"The janitor that walked in on us making out knows," Sam said unhelpfully.

"I want everyone to know," He said. "Are you really so ashamed of this relationship?"

"Ashamed!" Sam demanded. "Of course not! I want everyone to know too, Freddie, but I don't want Carly to know. I don't want to lose my best friend."

"You won't. Not if we tell her together."

"No."

"Sam, if you don't tell Carly, I'm not getting you bacon for our two-year anniversary."

"I can get my own bacon, Freddie."

"Well…if you don't tell her, I'll break up with you."

"Oh, you will, will you?"

Damn. She called his bluff.

"Uh… if you don't tell Carly, I will."

"You won't get the chance."

"Oh yeah? Watch me. I'll pin you to the ground and cover your mouth if I have to." Sam rolled her eyes.

"Your threats don't scare me, Freddie."

"It's not a threat. This is an ultimatum. If you don't tell Carly, I'll tell her."

"Awwh. So cute. Thinking you actually have a chance at winning this." She stretched up to kiss him. He pulled away after only a second.

"Sam, I will win."

"Whatever you say. I like a boy with a little spunk." He rolled his eyes and hugged her.

"Goodnight sweetie."

"Night handsome. I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed him quickly, and slipped back into Carly's room, leaving Freddie to stomp back down the stairs, realizing that his ultimatum wouldn't be taken seriously, no matter how seriously he meant it.


	4. Snitch

**A/N: okay. So as always, thanks for the reviews(: you guys are sweethearts. **

**Disclaimer: Please. We've been over this.**

**Chapter Four**

Freddie had endured just about everything. Saturday morning, he met the girls early to watch _Girly Cow _at the Shay's apartment. After that nightmare, he tagged along to Build-A-Bra.

He must've been desperate.

Sam never showed one ounce of even considering telling Carly. Obviously, his ultimatum was a joke in her eyes. Saturday night, he'd retired to his apartment early, but went back to Carly's in the dead of night. He went less for the fact that he wanted to tell her, and more because he knew Sam was there. They'd lounged on the Shay's couch for hours, talking and cuddling and kissing. Around four, when Sam had fallen asleep in his arms, he carried her back to her bed, and had reluctantly gone home.

On Sunday, he hung around with them for the greater part of the afternoon, and had gone home after a dinner of pizza. He didn't bother to go back to Sam in fear of Spencer coming home.

Monday morning, Freddie had determined he'd given Sam enough time to tell Carly. He flexed his muscles absentmindedly, determining whether or not he could tackle Sam and keep her down. They'd wrestled before, and she was kind of strong, but he figured he could take her. He stood by their lockers, waiting anxiously for Carly to appear. When she finally did, she looked weary and exhausted. Freddie peered around for Sam, but she was no where to be found.

"Carly?" He asked. She looked at him but didn't smile.

"Yes Freddie?" She said lamely, turning her combination.

"I have to talk to you."

"Can it wait? I'm really tired. I'm just trying to get to first period."

"Why are you so tired?"

"I had to get up and let Spencer in at like three. Sam locked my door."

Sam locked her door? Why?

"Oh. No, Carly, please, can I talk to you?" He pleaded. She slammed her locker shut and turned to him.

"I can't, Freddie, I'm sorry. I'm too tired. We'll talk later, I promise."

She walked away without waiting for a reply. Freddie sighed. They would talk later—but Sam might be around later. And things could get difficult.

Think of the devil and she shall appear.

Sam whirled the corner, looking just as tired as Carly.

"Jeez. You and Carly both look awful," He said without thinking. Instead of Sam getting angry, she looked very surprised to see Freddie standing there.

"Freddie," She murmured. "Hi." She strode forward, placing her hand on his cheek, and kissed him. He pulled away.

"Are you crazy? Somebody will—"

Oh… now he understood.

"You told Carly," He said, shock clear in his voice. "That's why you locked the door—so I wouldn't come in and see you giving me what I want." Sam sneered at him.

"Not at all. I locked the door because I didn't want you to walk in and see…that…"

"See what?"

Sam's eyes harbored a far-away look.

"See Carly. Like that. It was scary, Freddie. It was really scary. I was sure that if you walked through that door, she'd strangle you."

"What happened?"

"I tried to tell her calmly…we were almost asleep…and I decided that it was better to tell Carly there instead of you telling her while sitting on my face. She thought I was kidding at first. And then…she realized I wasn't. Spencer didn't know what to make of it."

"Spencer?" Freddie interrupted. "Carly just told me Spencer didn't get home until three…"

"You saw Carly? Oh my god… did she hurt you?"

"No! She acted perfectly normal, except really tired."

"Yeah. No doubt she's tired."

"Sam, what happened?"

"Well… I told her around ten. And Spencer came running in because she was screaming. I was backed against the wall. She just kept screaming things at me, things you wouldn't ever expect Carly to say. 'You dirty, lying bitch!' and 'Sneaky whore!' that was the nicest of them all. Spencer tried to calm her down. He got her calm enough to figure out what was going on…and…here's the worst of it, Freddie, Spencer knew. He'd known since the beginning. He walked in on us kissing once. Carly… Carly didn't know what to make of that. She started punching Spencer. Like… really punching him. And then she noticed that I was still in the room. She picked up a picture frame… I ducked, don't worry, she missed me by a million miles. But then she ran down to the kitchen and was throwing dishes all over the place and making a mess. No matter what Spencer or I said, we couldn't get her to stop. And then… after a good ten minutes of destroying the kitchen, she stopped, sunk to the floor, and starting crying. Like…bawling is more the appropriate word. Spencer and I just stood there. We couldn't go near her…she still had a plate in her hands."

"We shouldn't have told her," Freddie murmured.

"Yeah, I kept telling myself that too. But it was too late now, right? Anyways, Spencer seriously considered calling, like, an ambulance or something. Carly heard him say that. She smashed the plate she was holding, sprinted up the stairs, and disappeared for a good hour. She was in the shower. Spencer and I just kind of sat on the couch and waited for her to come back. And she did…and when she did…she was like a zombie. She had no emotion and she wasn't throwing things anymore. But she just kind of picked up a broom and swept up the kitchen. And then she was done…and she kind of just stood there. And I was stupid, and I go, 'Hey Carls? Carls, are you okay?' and then she spun on the spot—it was like a freaking horror movie, Freddie—and she sprinted for the door. It took me half a second to realize she was going for you. So I jumped off the couch all matrix-style and threw myself in front of her. She didn't like that. That's how I got these."

She held out her arms and Freddie's eyes widened at the deep scratches.

"Oh my god. Sam, you didn't have to do that, I could've handled Carly."

"This wasn't Carly. She was like a demon, Freddie. It was scary as hell. I wasn't going to let her get a hold of you. Don't give me that look. I'm fine. Spencer pulled her off of me. And then… Spencer was hugging her. He's a brave one, that Spencer Shay. And Carly just kind of broke down and started apologizing and she ran over to me and hugged me. And then we sat down on the couch and I tried to tell her that we'd wanted to tell her, but we were afraid she would get angry. For good reason, obviously, but I didn't say that. But she was crying too hard. So I seriously just held her for a good hour and just let her cry. And then she pulled away and said, 'I want to talk to you two tomorrow. You and Freddie.' And I said, 'As long as you don't have anything within reach that you can throw.' And she started laughing, then she yawned, said goodnight and went to bed.

"Just like that?" Freddie asked incredulously. He was waiting for the, 'Just kidding, she took it really well.' But it didn't come.

"Yep. Spence and I didn't want to question it. She was going to bed where she'd be calmer. I left, of course, and went home. Haven't seen Carls since. She wasn't angry with you?"

"No. She didn't even let on that she knew. She just said she was tired and that we would talk later. I was going to tell her… I didn't know she already knew."

"Yeah. Well. The real difficulty will be seeing her later. I just hope she can keep as calm of a head."

"Me too."

"And Freddie?"

"Yes?"

"I deserve a hell of a lot of bacon for that." Freddie started laughing and pulled Sam into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"Of course, Princess Puckett." Sam smiled and pulled away, kissing him again.

"WOAH."

Freddie and Sam broke, terrified for a second that Carly had seen that. As cool as she may have seemed that morning, that would surely be too much. Instead, they spotted Gibby watching them in shock.

"Sam and Freddie? But…you guys—"

"Hate each other?" They said simultaneously. "Yeah, we know." And they started laughing at the ridiculousness of that statement, and walked to class hand in hand to many double takes from their classmates.


	5. Carly Shay Reacts to Seddie

**A/N: Sorry it took me longer this time to update. A lot of stuff has been going on, and I didn't have much time. But I'm free now! As always, thanks for the reviews(:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Carly, Sam, or Freddie, or anything that relates to their world.**

**Chapter Five**

It seemed like Carly didn't want to see Sam. She didn't sit with them at lunch; she only came over to the table to tell them to meet her at her house after school.

And she wouldn't even look at Sam as she told them that.

It didn't seem to bother Sam as much as it bothered Freddie. He felt unsettled. Was Carly mad at Sam for not telling her? Because it had been Freddie's idea from the very beginning to keep Carly in the dark. When he'd originally asked Sam to be his girlfriend, her number one worry was how Carly would take it, and Freddie had the genius idea of having a secret relationship. He'd been selfish—as long as he got Sam, he'd do whatever it took.

Two years later, Sam was taking the punishment.

After school, Carly wasn't at the lockers, so Freddie and Sam walked to her house without her. They were quiet for a while before Sam finally spoke up.

"Have you seen her at all today? Besides lunch and this morning?" She asked, sounding very worried.

"Er, yeah. I talked to her in between fourth and fifth period."

"Oh."

"Do you think she's mad at you?"

"Who cares if she is?"

"Well, I do. That's not very fair, Sam." Sam smiled, tightening her grip on his hand. He expected her to say something but she didn't. Instead they walked quietly the rest of the way to the apartment complex. Outside Carly's door, Sam turned to him.

"No matter what happens," She whispered. "No matter how she feels, I'm glad we told her."

"You are?" Freddie asked incredulously.

"I am now. Last night I wasn't. But I don't think she can be much worse than she was."

"Okay." Sam stretched to kiss him before opening the door and sidling inside.

Carly wasn't there.

"The studio?" Sam questioned.

"She's in her room," Spencer said, emerging from the kitchen. He looked between the two of them, cracking a can of soda and taking a long sip. When his lips were free again, he added, "She told me to tell you to meet her there."

"So dramatic, Spence," Sam said, rolling her eyes. Spencer shrugged.

"That's Carly for you."

"Thanks." Sam tugged on Freddie's hand and walked upstairs quietly. For the third time in his life and for the third time in the past few days, Freddie walked into Carly's room. She was sitting on her computer and Sam had to clear her throat to catch her attention. She swiveled in her chair and smiled at them, but Freddie couldn't help but notice she wouldn't catch Sam's eye.

"Hi guys," She murmured.

"Hey," Sam answered. Even as she spoke, Carly wouldn't look at her. Freddie's free hand balled into a fist. Carly sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for them to join her. Sam moved first and Freddie followed in her footsteps. Carly watched her comforter intently and Sam sat at the head of the bed, crossing her legs in front of her and her arms. Freddie sat next to her so Carly was in the place of a pet. She looked up at Freddie and smiled.

"I'm happy for you guys," She murmured. This caught Freddie totally off guard. He glanced at Sam, but she was sporting the same poker face she always did. Carly cleared her throat and continued.

"I can tell that you guys really care about each other. Well, I haven't seen Freddie act like he's in a relationship, but Sam, when you jumped in front of me last night…that's when I knew. With every…scratch…you held your ground. You didn't want me to get to Freddie. And I think that's very sweet. And I bet Freddie would do the same thing."

"Of course I would," Freddie interrupted angrily while Carly looked everywhere but Sam's face. "I love her."

Carly winced, composed herself again, and nodded.

"Right," She murmured. "And that's why I wanted you guys to know I'm cool with it. It took a while to get here, and all the kids talking about you at school didn't help, but I've decided that I'm really, really happy for you guys and I'm not mad."

There was silence.

Freddie felt relieved as he stared at Carly. This was perfect—now they could have their relationship out in the open for everyone to see without causing anybody to be upset about it.

Carly was hoping that they would buy it.

Sam wasn't going to buy it.

"That's total chiz, Shay," She accused. Carly sighed in defeat and stood up off of her bed. Freddie felt confused and looked from girl to girl, trying to figure out what Sam was talking about. Carly finally looked at Sam.

"Okay, so yes, I was lying. But SAM! Put yourself in my shoes! What if Freddie and I have been in a relationship for two years and you knew nothing about it?"

"I'd be pissed."

"Exactly!"

"But I wouldn't put on this whole charade about being okay with it like you just did. We're expecting you to be angry Carly so just _be angry_."

"OF COURSE I'M ANGRY! I'm furious! We said no secrets, and you keep the biggest secret in the world from me! That's not fair!"

"We know it's not fair," Sam said complacently.

"THEN WHY DID YOU DO IT!"

Sam looked at Freddie, willing him to speak his side.

"Well," He started. "In the beginning, Sam was worried about how you would react. So I suggested that we just not…tell you…and she agreed. I felt bad about it after we got past our year anniversary because in the very beginning, I didn't honestly think we would last so long because Sam is…too good for me."

Sam blinked a few times and a smile slowly crossed her face. Freddie glanced at her, took a deep breath, and continued.

"I wanted to tell you when you found out we kissed. I almost did—but Sam was still scared, and I admit it, I kind of was too. So we just kept going on with the charade. And then I saved your life, and we had that whole…episode…"

"Wait," Carly said quietly. "You two were…together…when Freddie and I were…together?"

"Yep," Sam said bitterly. "Worst week of my life."

"Sam…if I had known…"

"But you didn't know. And that's why I told Freddie to just go with it. We didn't want you to expect anything."

"Right," Freddie interrupted. "But eventually we talked you out of it, as I'm sure you remember. And then, very soon after that, I decided I wanted to tell you. And Sam and I went to war."

"Yeah," Sam muttered, laughing. "I'm sorry if I was a total pain this weekend Shay, I couldn't let him have the chance. He snuck in here in the middle of the night; he had that kind of audacity."

"I wanted to win," Freddie said, an embarrassed blush reaching his cheeks.

"Wait…can I know exactly when you two got together?" Carly asked.

"About a week after our first kiss," Sam said promptly.

"And that was after you told everybody Freddie had never been kissed, went to the fire escape, apologized, and then you kissed."

"Err, yes," Freddie said. "It doesn't sound so romantic when you say it like that."

"Because it was so romantic to begin with," Sam said sarcastically. "A fire escape, really." Freddie laughed and looked at Carly.

She didn't look so humorous.

"All that time," She murmured. "That's like… a really, really long time."

"Yeah," Sam said. "Yeah, we know."

"And we're sorry," Freddie added.

Carly was quiet. Sam seemed to read her better than Freddie did.

"Carly, why wouldn't you talk to me all day?" She asked tentatively.

"What?" Carly asked confusedly, looking over at Sam.

"You wouldn't look at me all day, but you talked to Freddie."

"Uh…"

"Shay? Are you…more than just angry?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you…maybe…jealous, too?"

Carly was quiet again. Sam waited patiently for her to answer. Instead of the calm conversation they'd just had, Carly was pacing again.

"Yes! Yes, I'm jealous. I'm really jealous. I thought that… Freddie, I thought you loved me."

"I did," He admitted. "A while back. A long while back. But things change, Carly."

"And…and back when we were…sort of dating. That was nothing? You felt nothing?"

"I'm sorry, Carly, but I didn't. Why does this matter?" Carly looked a tad nervous. She wrung her hands constantly, and kept pacing.

"Well," She said timidly. "I…I kind of…maybe…felt…something."

"Well that was then," Sam said, a fierce control to her voice.

"And now," Carly admitted.  
**TO BE CONTINUED.**


	6. Decision

**A/N: Ahh! Hello, the few of you who are actually still here! haha. I apologize massively for taking so long to update. I got a new computer, you see, and it had no internet. I've had this written, I was just waiting for the modem to work! Alright, enough of me, onto the Seddie!**

**Disclaimer: Dan Schneider would be very, very unhappy if I took credit for his work, so I put credit where credit is due!**

**Chapter Six**

Freddie was completely ready for a girl fight. It was any guy's dream come true—two hot girls fighting over him. All they needed was a mud pit and he'd be ready to blow the whistle. He was snapped out of his daydream, however, when Sam very calmly said, "Excuse me?"

Freddie felt the wind deflate rapidly from his sails. All those times she was unnecessarily violent towards him, and now she wouldn't even humor him a bit by fighting Carly. Of course, he really hadn't expected it. Sam loved Carly—they were best friends. Freddie tried to focus on the real problem. Carly continued her mad pacing, looking anywhere but Freddie's face.

"I just thought when we were…er…dating that this was _real_. I kept thinking, 'Wow, all those years he liked me, and I never even looked at him that way, and now I feel like…I feel like, maybe, I love him back.'" Carly stopped moving around the room and stared determinedly at her feet, her face bright red. Freddie looked uncertainly at Sam who was watching Carly. She cocked an eyebrow, gazing at Carly's embarrassed figure.

"And you still feel this way?" Sam asked lightly, as if they were discussing the weather.

"Yes," Carly said timidly. "I do."

Sam was quiet for a few more moments before she sighed and rested her head on Freddie's shoulder. Freddie swallowed hard, praying Carly wouldn't look up. He didn't want to hurt her more than he already had.

"I wish my life was a television show," Sam said. "I would make so much money."

Despite himself, Freddie laughed.

The one simple sound caused Carly to lift her face towards them, just as the weight on his shoulder disappeared. Freddie instantly stopped laughing, trying vainly to turn it into a cough. Carly looked amazingly sad, and Freddie didn't feel any better when a single tear rolled down her face.

Sam groaned and was up in a flash, crossing the room easily to Carly, and pulling her into a hug.

Freddie wasn't so surprised that Carly didn't return the gesture. Sam let go quickly, and they both noticed that Carly wasn't done speaking.

"Freddie, do you remember what you said to me? That if, when the entire 'saving my life' thing blew over, I still had feelings for you that you'd be pretty stoked about it?"

"Uhm," Freddie said lamely, not particularly happy with where this was going. Sam was a stone wall—her poker face was back in place. Freddie wondered if he should mention that Sam had written that little speech. "Yeah, Carly, I remember. But that was just… I mean, I was dating Sam, I was just saying that so you wouldn't think anything was…off…"

"Freddie, you can't honestly tell me that you really didn't feel anything! I mean, I felt… I felt so much! There was such a _difference _from every other guy I'd been with. It felt…right, Freddie."

Freddie wondered if there was any way out of this.

"It's your choice, Freddie," Sam suddenly spoke, sounding serene yet emotionless. Freddie blinked a few times in surprise and turned to her while Carly did the same thing.

"What's my choice?" He asked. He didn't see that he had to make a decision.

"Maybe things _were_ right with Carly. Maybe you guys were meant to be together, just like everybody assumed when we were younger. Back when I fought you over every stupid thing."

"Because you didn't want me to see how you really felt," Freddie murmured, remembering the story that Sam told so often. Sam nodded once and continued.

"Freddie, you used to love her. Maybe you still do. Maybe this is right. I'm not going to get in the way of your decision. I want you to be _happy _and I don't care if it's with me or Carly. As long as you get what you want."

Freddie was mortified. What was she _saying_? How could she _possibly _think he wanted Carly and not her? It was idiotic! It was so false! How…how could anybody assume such a thing? While he ruminated over the stupidity of Sam's proposal, Carly was blabbering about something.

"I wouldn't want to come in between you," She blatantly lied. "It's just, you know how I feel—"

"—and you know how I feel," Sam interjected.

"—and we just want to see how _you _feel about this."

Freddie gazed at the two girls. Oh, how much easier this would've been if they had just wrestled in a mud pit. He stood up off of the bed, but he didn't move from the side. He stared at them, and sighed a little.

"Carly, I'm sorry, but it'll always be Sam."

Freddie watched as Carly backed away, more tears running down her face.

"Why do you like her so much?" She demanded. Sam barked a bitter laugh.

"A little harsh, Shay," She spat. Carly ignored her.

"All she did was fight with you! All you _ever _did was scream into each other's faces and pull each other's hair, and slap each other. I mean…how could a relationship come out of all of that? Have you slept together or something?" Freddie's eyes went huge while Sam raised her eyebrows in obvious amusement.

"Uh, what exactly do you mean by that?" Sam asked, biting her tongue against her laughter.

"I mean, like…have you guys…you know…have you—"

"Had sex? Made love? Done it?" Sam asked, throwing the words into Carly's face with great enjoyment. She half expected Carly to cover her ears childishly because Carly never seemed like the kind of person who even had the word 'sex' in her vocabulary. However, Carly nodded sheepishly, the red returning to her face. Sam smirked.

"No, we haven't," She said. "Not like the boy hasn't tried," She added as an afterthought. Freddie scoffed.

"Not like you didn't let me get close," He muttered.

Sam smiled angelically.

Carly frowned and glanced at the ground.

"I can't say that's not a relief," She admitted. Sam shrugged.

"It doesn't mean we won't, Carly. We've been together a long time. It could happen. This relationship—in my personal opinion—isn't going to end anytime soon. I'm sorry that you like Freddie, and that you were lured in by his boyish charm, but… I hate to be so harsh; you have to get over it. You could have any guy you want, Carly. Anybody. Somebody who would kiss the ground you walked on, and wait on your every need. Somebody who will treat you like a _queen _because you deserve it. You're a sweetheart, Carls, and everybody knows it. I don't want to lose your friendship over this. Freddie and I know we were wrong to keep you in the dark—and we want you to accept our apology." Carly swallowed hard, rubbing her hand over the back of her neck.

"It won't be right now," She murmured. "I can't… I can't accept this all right now and pretend everything's okay."

"Nobody is expecting you to," Freddie said, smiling at her a bit. "It's a lot to take in in one day."

"But… you _will _be able to accept it?" Sam asked hopefully. Carly was quiet for a few agonizing seconds before a small smile lit up her face.

"I think so," She said. "I just need to sleep on it…for a while. And hey, maybe I'll give that cute kid Aaron in my science class a shot."

"'Atta girl," Sam said, and she reached forward to hug her friend again. This time, Carly hugged her back, doing her best to keep a straight face. Freddie smiled at the pair, and when Sam pulled away, Carly wiped the last of the tears off of her cheeks. She turned to Freddie and flashed him a smile.

"I hope you don't think I'm a creep now," She said. "And I hope we can still be friends."

"You took the words right out of my mouth," He said nicely. Carly smiled, but Freddie didn't dare approach her to hug her too. It was a little soon for that.

"We'll go now, Carls, if you want," Sam said. Carly nodded.

"Okay. I'm glad we had this talk."

"Me too. Love you, Shay."

"Love you too, Puckett." Sam gave her a parting smile and opened the door. Freddie followed her closely, and shut the door. Sam pirouetted down the stairs and to the front door. Freddie stopped her as soon as they were outside, laying a hand on her wrist.

"I think that went…uh, well, given the circumstances," He said. Sam laughed.

"It went okay. I'm glad she can still be our friend. But boy, you had me nervous, taking all that time to think about which of us to choose."

"I never thought about it. I was really taking in the absurdity of that statement. It will always be you, Sam. I meant what I said."

"Good," She said happily, stretching on her toes to meet his lips. After a few moments, he pulled away, a smug smile on his face.

"Did you mean what you said about me losing my virginity any day now?" He questioned.

"Maybe," Sam remarked, shrugging her shoulders as she plopped down to her regular height. She fluttered her eyebrows flirtatiously. Freddie moaned and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. She smacked him lightly.

"Such a _boy_, Benson," She accused.

"Such a _tease_, Puckett," He remarked. She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You know what the hardest part will be now?" She asked, looking slightly concerned.

"What?" Freddie asked, staring intently into her big blue eyes.

"Telling your mother."

They both laughed for a few moments, before a voice rang out clear from the other side of the hallway.

"She already knows," Mrs. Benson said, striding into view with a bag of groceries in her hands. Freddie instantly let go of Sam, feeling extremely nervous. Mrs. Benson unlocked the door to her apartment before she turned around and glared at the couple.

"And she would have a very serious conversation with the both of you if she didn't have ice cream in this bag. Fredward Benson, you get in this apartment this instant," She scolded, giving Freddie a long glare. Freddie did as he was told, leaving Sam standing alone. Freddie's mother grimaced at her, before slamming the door to their apartment. Sam frowned and walked away uncertainly. Was she really so bad for Freddie? No, of course not. His mother was just a crazy nut job. It was surprising, really, to see such a nice, functional boy come out of such a dysfunctional family. When Sam was outside, her phone vibrated, and she reached for it, expecting Carly:

'I'm going to talk to her about it. I'll convince her that it's okay. It might be a very, very long night. I'm sorry I didn't get the chance before, but I love you.'

Sam giggled like a little girl, mentally scolded herself for doing such an unspeakable crime, and typed a reply.

**A/N: This isn't the end. I considered making it the end, but then I decided against it, haha. There will probably one more "real" chapter, and then a last, half a page thing just for funsies. Please review! xoxo **


	7. Same Old Sam and Freddie

**A/N: Alright, this has nothing to do with my story, haha. It's… 12:30 AM and I just read a fanfiction on here that—I admit it—moved me to tears. Super lame, I know. It might just be the fact that I've gotten five hours of sleep in the past three days, but either way, it was really good. Warning: Shameless promotion right here.**

**Lost Along the Way by **maybe-joleisaa. **You'll especially enjoy if you're a 500 Days of Summer fan, like moa. But definitely check it out! Anyways, onto the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly, or maybe-joleisaa! Hahaha (:**

**Chapter Seven**

**One month later**

Freddie meticulously packed up his technical equipment while the girls were off changing. Every so often he would hear the occasional, "That looks great on you!" or the, "No way, too much," or how about the incessant giggles? It was driving him nuts. According to Carly's latest girly squeal, his girlfriend looked absolutely stunning, and he really couldn't wait to see her. He packed up the very last of his lenses—after cleaning them obsessively four times each—and straightened his long-sleeved, white, button down shirt. Would Sam like it? Would she like his dark skinny jeans, or would she call him a dork? He should've worn the dress pants from his cousin's wedding. They would've looked so much nicer…

Oh well. Too late now.

After the newest iCarly that had ended an hour ago, Carly and Sam had pranced away to Carly's bedroom while Freddie changed in the bathroom. It had taken him five minutes, and the girls were still going at it. As long as he stood close enough to the wall and kept the door open, he could roughly hear what was being said next door.

"Which shoes should I wear?" Carly was stressing. Sam sounded bored when she replied, "The red flats, they're cute."

"Are you sure? He's kind of tall; I might need the extra boost…"

"Carly. Wear the flats. The heels look trampy."

Freddie smirked. Always telling it how it was; that was Sam.

"Well it's so easy for you!" Carly teased. "You and Freddie have been going on dates for forever! You know exactly what to wear to these kinds of things. This is my first date with James."

"Yeah, try to keep up, kid," Sam replied. Freddie stifled a laugh and leaned away from the wall. Truth was, he and Sam _hadn't _been doing this for forever. They never went out before unless it was to her place or his—okay, just his—when their parents weren't home. The first time Sam had come over, Freddie hadn't made dinner, and that had been a big mistake. He chuckled quietly to himself at the memory of Sam digging through his family fridge, eating almost everything her hands came in contact with. Over the past month though, after their secret had been revealed, they'd gone out quite a bit. The first movie outing was nerve-wracking, and if it hadn't been for Sam's quick fingers, Freddie would've spilled his coke all over her shirt. Of course, "quick fingers" didn't help much later when Sam knocked the popcorn into Freddie's lap.

Ah, first dates.

After that, they'd gone bowling, mini-golfing, to the mall, to the Groovy Smoothie, and just waltzed around town, holding hands and sharing a soda—well, scratch that, Sam drank most of it. Now they were going to a dance—an awful school dance that involved…well, dancing. Freddie wasn't much of a dancer; he was better with cameras. Sam though… Sam could dance, and very well. He dreaded the thought of having to sit it out while Sam showed off all over the floor, twirling around with hundreds of different guys while he sat around with the tech nerds and talked about digitally enhancing pictures and video.

He hadn't even noticed that the talking next door had subsided until the door to Carly's room slammed shut. He jumped a little bit, before turning around, just in time to watch Carly walk into the room. Her hair was straightened, and she was wearing a sexy red dress that had no straps and stopped at her mid thigh. On her feet were the red flats, and Freddie couldn't help but smile.

"You look nice," He said politely. Carly smiled, and it was kind of hard to recognize her under all the make-up. She looked beautiful, of course, but it just didn't seem like it was…her.

"Sam's kind of upset," Carly laughed. "She didn't want to get in a dress, and it took me a while to explain to her that this was a _formal _dance."

"Shut up, Carls," Sam said from the hallway. "Freddie," She added. "Don't laugh at me."

"Cross my heart," He said simply, fighting the urge to bounce back and forth of his feet in anticipation. He heard Sam give a hearty sigh before she strode into view, putting her hands up in a "ta-da" kind of fashion, but not looking at all pleased about it.

Freddie tried his best to keep his jaw from hitting the floor.

Sam had been put—probably forced—into a simple white dress that had straps, and went just a little bit beyond her mid-thigh. It hugged her curves, but Freddie was barely noticing that—which was surprising, considering he _loved _her curves. His eyes lingered on Sam's face which had make-up on it, but not nearly as much as Carly's. With Carly, she had tried to hide her natural beauty. With Sam, she'd tried to enhance it and boy had she succeeded. Freddie wondered how he would keep all the other guys at bay tonight.

"Personally," Sam grumbled. "I only like the shoes."

Freddie—with difficulty—pealed his eyes away from Sam's face and brought them to her feet. On them was her classic pair of black converse. Freddie smirked. You can put the girl in a dress…

"I couldn't change her mind," Carly sighed. "I had this gorgeous pair of heels too that would match _perfectly_—"

"I want to _dance _at this dance, Carly, not fall down all night." Freddie laughed and looked over at the tech cart where his navy blue tie was still sitting. Feeling sheepish, he plucked it lightly off the cart, and turned to Sam, twisting it around in his fingers.

"Do you know how to…put on a tie?" He asked. Sam raised her eyebrows.

"Are we married, Fredweird?" She asked, and he couldn't help but smile at the old, familiar nickname. He didn't answer her question, and with a sigh, Sam strode forward and wrapped the tie around Freddie.

"So you do know," He teased. She rolled her eyes.

"I've seen my mom do it hundreds of times," She replied. Carefully, she fixed the tie so it looked just right, and then placed a quick kiss on his lips. Carly laughed from the other side of the room.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that," She said. "Sam and Freddie went from fighting to kissing." Sam beamed at her.

"I could just as easily go back to the 'fighting' thing, Carls. Just because we're dating doesn't mean I can't pummel him."

"And just because I love you," Freddie remarked, "doesn't mean that I won't completely humiliate you." Sam whirled around, and Freddie knew he struck the right nerve. She had that familiar gleam in her eyes—a gleam that used to scare him senseless. She smirked, crouching slightly, never taking her eyes off of him.

"Bring it on," She said simply.

"No, guys, not now," Carly said, sounding distressed.

"It'll only be a second," Freddie murmured, rolling his neck. Carly sighed.

"Sam, if you rip that dress, I will personally—"

"Blah blah blah, whatever," Sam said, and then she rushed Freddie. He sidestepped quickly, but Sam wouldn't be fooled—she jumped on his back, wrapping her legs around his waist to keep herself secure, and pushing down on his shoulders, forcing him to the floor. She rolled so she was sitting on his stomach, and grinned.

"Ding ding ding," She mused. "We have a winner." She leaned down to kiss him, but Freddie took the advantage of her distraction to grab her shoulders, flip her around, and place his knees on either side of her stomach, making sure he didn't place any weight on her. She looked shocked and slightly bemused as Freddie whispered, "Gotcha," and placed a kiss on her forehead. He shot up and offered her his hand which she refused, standing up slowly, wiping her hands on her dress.

"I went easy on you, Benson," She said defensively.

"Round two, Puckett?" He challenged. She looked entirely willing, and Freddie really would've loved to stay here doing this rather than go to the dance, but at that moment Spencer burst into the studio and declared that James had arrived and it was time to go. Sam shot Freddie a last hostile glance before she grabbed his hand and dragged him out the door.

x

It was dark in the gymnasium, and Freddie took that as a blessing. More people then Sam witnessing his terrible dancing would be mortifying. Of course, it was embarrassing enough as it was that Sam would have to see it.

But when Freddie looked into the crowd, all he saw was a lot of jumping up and down, and lots of fists in the air.

Oh. He could do _that_. Sam was blabbering on with Carly about something, and after a while, Carly walked away, waving uncertainly at the two of them as James led her to the mass of people.

"Do you really want to stay?" She asked him, turning her big blue eyes up at him in a look of complete innocence. Sam wearing an innocent look—what a contradiction.

"Do you?" He asked. Sam shook her head no, and Freddie was relieved when she pulled on his hand and walked right back out the door.

x

James walked Carly home, and was brave enough to steal a kiss or two outside her apartment. She waved goodbye to him, feeling giddy and slightly nervous, as she still wasn't sure where her best friends had disappeared to. She waited for James to turn the corner before she unlocked her door, and when she opened it, the lights were off. Confused, Carly flicked the switch.

Freddie and Sam were on the couch, Sam dressed in a tank top and flannel pajama pants—Carly's flannel pajama pants—and Freddie in a pair of ratty sweats and an old t-shirt. Sam's head was on Freddie's shoulder, and his cheek was pressed against her hair. Both hands were intertwined, and both pairs of eyes were closed. Carly smiled softly at the scene and padded quietly to the closet to get them a blanket.


	8. Past, Present, and Future

**A/N: This is my last post on this story, a just for fun kind of thing(: it's been a blast writing, and thank you all so much for your support3**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine!**

**Chapter Eight**

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Sam whispered as Freddie pulled her up the staircase of his apartment building.

"It's not like anybody will actually hear me," He countered, doing his best to jog to the top. Sam sighed—again—and Freddie couldn't help but laugh. He'd wanted to do this for a long, long time. He finally opened the door that led to the rooftop, and beamed against the rough wind. He sauntered over to the edge of the building, holding onto the railing and peering over the edge. Cars zoomed by beneath him, and he tried to fight the queasiness in his stomach. He turned around to see Sam with her arms firmly at her sides, face towards the sky.

"This is stupid," She accused.

"So what?" Freddie replied. Sam glanced over and moved slowly towards him.

"Alright nerd," She teased. "Let's just get this out of the way." Freddie turned in the direction of the street, cupped his hands around his mouth and screamed,

"I, FREDDIE BENSON, AM DATING SAM PUCKETT!" Sam rolled her eyes at the stupid grin on Freddie's face.

"Are you satisfied?"

"So much."

"We could've just said this on iCarly. A lot more people would've heard you."

"I bet nobody heard me. I don't care—I wanted to shout it from the rooftops."

"Can we go now?" Sam complained. Her hair was whipping around her face madly, making her look like she was in front of giant fan. Freddie smiled at her.

"I dragged you up here," He said. "I might as well reward you." And he pulled her into his arms and kissed her over and over again, not reminiscing on the past, or worrying about the future, just simply being here, in the present with the one person who mattered most—the one person who made his past, present, and hopefully future worthwhile.

**The End**


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